French Historical Foundation
Important Event Timeline:

In ancient times France was part of the Celtic territory known as Gaul or Gallia. Its present name is derived from the Latin Francia, meaning "country of the Franks," a Germanic people who conquered the area during the 5th century, at the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It became a separate country in the 9th century. (Noin)

France’s earliest attempt to stake a claim in the new world occurred in 1534 when French sailor Jacques Cartier arrived in Chaleur Bay off the Gaspé peninsula. Although fishing and fur trading expeditions were successful, France made no serious attempt to colonize “New France” until the 17th century. France greatly expanded its holdings in North America during the second half of the 17th century and early 18th century. Profits from the fur trade and from providing supplies and services to the French colonial régime and its military offered the opportunity for enterprising individuals to obtain wealth not otherwise available from the trades or farming. (New France: Historical Background in Brief)

In 1756, the world war known as the Seven Years’ War broke out in Europe, with France and Austria allied against England and Prussia. The English had the advantage of the mightiest navy on the seas and, with Frederick the Great on their side, the finest army in Europe. Determined to drive France out of North America, England used its superior sea power to cut New France off from Europe. The war officially ended with the signing of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Thus France surrendered all title to the mainland of North America, and the French régime in Québec officially ended. (New France: Historical Background in Brief)

A watershed event in modern European history, the French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. Like the American Revolution before it, the French Revolution was influenced by Enlightenment ideals, particularly the concepts of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. Although it failed to achieve all of its goals and at times degenerated into a chaotic bloodbath, the movement played a critical role in shaping modern nations by showing the world the power inherent in the will of the people. (FRENCH REVOLUTION)

Since the 17th century, France has played a major role in European and world events. In the 20th century, it has experienced numerous crises, including the devastation of two world wars, political and social upheavals, and the loss of a large empire in Indochina, Algeria, and West and Equatorial Africa. It has, however, survived and emerged from the ruins of World War II to become an important world supplier of agricultural and industrial products and a major partner in the EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (EC, or Common Market). (Noin)

References:
New France: Historical Background in Brief: http://www.lookbackward.com/perrault/perr1/newfrance/ A HISTORY of FRANCE: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/History/DF_history.shtml ___ History of France: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/France-history.htm FRENCH REVOLUTION:
http://www.history.com/topics/french-revolution